


The heart of Asgard

by crisfeline



Category: Thor (Comics), Thor (Movies), Thor: Tales of Asgard, Thorki - Fandom, Thunderfrost - Fandom
Genre: Fandral sided, I think if there is any Thor/Fandral it will be one-sided, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2017-12-23 00:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/919677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crisfeline/pseuds/crisfeline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor and Loki are two teens The warriors three have to guard. The beginning of their friendship and Thor and Loki's relationship seen through the eyes of Fandral.<br/>Expect a dramedy and maybe even some mature content if the story allows it or needs it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A special mission

Chapter 1/?

It was early in the morning in a crisp winter when we were summoned to the Alfather's presence. Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral. We had been trained as warriors since childhood. Though we used to live in the dwellings within the magnificent palace of the Allfather, we had refused the offer of becoming high ranoking royal guards. We became usual explorers, envoys and fought alongside guards and soldiers but decided not to give up the wanderlust that had made us friends. The Allfather seemed to share that wanderlust and was good to us. I had never had a single complaint about our position and treatment in court or given us an unpleasant task until that day.  
We were summoned, we got there, the Allfather spoke.

"My brave warriors, I have a great honour to bestow upon you. A task that will test all your perseverance, patience and wit." He said smiling at us and with his brilliant blue eye shinning with cleverness.

Hogun thought of an expedition that would take us to wondrous places and would need our intelligence and audacity to be fulfilled. Volstagg thought of fierce battles rewarded with great feasts. I thought of expeditions and battles that would take us to places full of exotic damsels I could charm. But no, no such luck.

"My son, Thor, is growing older and though he is not yet an adult, he is not a child anymore either. He is your charge now whenever he wants to leave palace grounds. Sober, wise Hogun, I give you a set of guidelines for the things and places that are off limits for my son." He said and smiled with satisfaction. "I have, naturally, lectured him on these guidelines as well. He is aware of them."

That didn't seem too satisfactory either. We had seen the prince but for a few times. He didn't seem the quiet, tranquil type. I was an adolescent myself when I first l saw him. He was nothing but a toddler, a white and shinning little baby with hair long to the shoulder that shone like gold, like the sun. He was a little thing of tender beauty, like a white blue eyed kitten with rosy white skin and pink round cheeks. He was in the arms of Frigga, our queen, and constantly turned his round little head to plant sloppy kisses with his ruddy plump lips on her radiant beautiful face. I am not too fond of babies, maybe because they are a danger in my constant womanising, but no one could remain indiferent to the little boy when he was presented as our youngest prince. Even the young princes, his brothers, seemed to like him well enough and he passed from his mother's arms to his older brothers' or to the other lords and ladies of the court. I remember clearly the Allfather's speech. All eyes on him, a sea of faces looking solemn and quiet. He spoke of the power this child had within him and of his origins.

"I know you wonder about the mother of this child! Be sure I am his father and look at him in the arms of my queen, his  mother. Aesir, rejoice in this day..." He was saying and the toddler squealed and giggled loudly in a raspy, high pitched and very loud voice when he heard the word /rejoice/.  
He clapped his chubby little hands and blew kisses to his father. "Far!Far!" he squealed happily and the king could not continue his speech until he took the boy in his arms and losing some of his composure he held the giggling babe up and ended up saying, "Rejoice and meet your new prince, Thor Einridi Odinson!" he finished and held the boy in his arms.

I laughed, but also knew right then that his nursemaids would have to do a lot of chasing after him. Months later he was asked to show his incredible strenght lifting things that would have flattened any normal little boy.

And then, came the other. Loki was presented as Thor's barely younger brother a couple of years after Thor's presentation. And they became like conjoined twins. As they grew the nursemaids and tutors gossiped about their harmless antics and accomplishments but also about some of their mischief.

This all meant we were suppossed to baby sit two adolescent boys who were trouble. The allfather said nothing about Loki, but wherever Thor went, there was Loki, wherever Loki went, Thor followed.  
I just looked down and tried not to show my discontent.

"He has begun his sparring training. You are to take him to your next scouting around the outskirts of Asgard. He has sworn to be obedient to you. Meet him after breakfast in the inner courtyard. He has to be home by sunset. Prince Loki is not going with you."

We nodded and bowed deeply as there was no arguing with the allfather, our king.  
It had been several seasons since we last saw Thor and I was not expecting our first meeting would be so full of predicaments. Or that he would have changed so much.

Volstagg and Hogun went to the inner courtyard. But Volstagg took a detour in the kitchens and Hogun arrived alone as I got distracted by the group of fresh young shieldmaidens walking to the sparring rink, some wearing white lrobes over their training attires. I stared and admired them and then I ran to the inner courtyard but got distracted by the sight of lovely creature I took for a lost shieldmaiden who was daydreaming and looking down the balcony, leaning on her elbows and wearing a long white robe.

She was tall, leggy and slender but with delicious broad shoulders and narrow, rounded hips, perky high buttocks. My experience had shown me that ladies with such a build compensated the narrowness of their hips with round, generous bossoms. The long hair was breathtaking, cascading down to her brief toned waist, she was surely leanly muscled as most shieldmaidens were and the waving hand she suddenly showed was large but long fingered and delicate. My lustful mind made me think of that hand touching me in most delicious ways. I imagined the face. It surely was one that would put Amora to shame. I had to seize the chance now that the lovely maiden was alone and her strict trainer had not noticed her absense. I went to her and grabbed her deliciously firm waist in my hands. She had hard muscles, a great warrior, maybe, but few ladies deny Fandral the dashing. She tensed and straightend as her backside stuck out in her previous posture. There was a gasp, her voice was surely deep, rich and husky.

"I had to touch you, lovely one, as I feared you were a vision and would evaporate as such beauty is rarely real. Come away with me, you won't regret it." I purred to her.

The sensuous creature spun sharply around and I saw a beautiful face but it was not that of a woman, and the raspy, younthful but deep voice made me jump back only a little more than the glaring, impossibly blue eyes.

"Unhand me in this very moment or I will rip your head off your neck! Guards! Guards!" He yelled and the n he snarled furiously but behind that wrath there was fear. He was still a boy, though he had grown tall fast, and was also still an innocent.  
Then my mind started working again and I realised I had just groped one of the princes of Asgard, the one I had to guard. I had rubbed Thor Odinson's buttock.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki learns he is not invited to the trip with Thor and The Warriors Three. Sif is still blonde but already a badass classy lady, Loki plays practical jokes at dinner, Thor wants to escape Asgard with his goats.

I stood transfixed looking at the glaring youth and before I could stutter an apology on bended knee, six royal guards were there holding my arms back. I knew these men very well but they had responded as they had been trained to do. And Loki had guided them, pointing a long, thin finger at me and glaring, his large, green eyes burning and standing protectively between Thor and I. Thor was glaring, too, and there seemed to be a small moment of embarrassment for the blonde, tall boy as he stood pretty helpless behind his younger brother. Loki turned his dark haired head to look at Thor as if telling him he was safe now. Thor opened his lips to speak but his little brother spoke first.

"What were you thinking when you attacked your prince, you, lowly worm?" Loki hissed as he took a step back to feel Thor closer."Our father will have your head chopped off!" he said and looked protectively at Thor. 

"My prince Thor, what has this man done to you?" One of the guards asked. 

Thor was tongue-tied, he blushed and I knew I was safe. Thor was young but proud. He would not easily acknowledge he had been outraged both by my advances and by the fact I had taken him for a shield maiden. He cleared his throat and stepped next to Loki passing an arm around his young brother's shoulders. 

"Brother, be calm. I was just startled by the good...Fandral, is that right?" he said and I nodded and bowed a little."I must be on edge because of our next scouting trip to the forests. It was nothing, nothing to worry about, dear brother."

Loki looked at Thor with a little frown."A scouting trip? When are we going?" he asked looking from Thor to us with suspicion in his large green eyes.

" Well, you are not going, my prince." Hogun, who had arrived late to save me, said seriously." Only your brother, who is older."

Loki turned sharply toward Thor." I'm going." He said firmly and smugly." If Thor is going, I'm going. Who says I won't go?" he demanded. 

"Father said you are still young and your training is not completed. We don't want to risk you. It could be dangerous." Thor should not have said that.

" Then, that's all the more reason for me to go. I can sense all danger before it presents itself. Who will keep my dear brother safe when there's danger if I'm not there?" Loki asked with the same smug little smile on his face.

I knew well that it was going to cause us deep trouble to try and keep Loki there in the palace and Thor rarely denied anything to his younger brother. 

Thor dismissed the guards and, fortunately, us, too. But the blonde prince stopped me and told me."I will have a word with you, Fandral."

I nodded and followed." You will not tell anyone of your most outrageous mistake, understood?" He told me and I had to lower my eyes obediently. Even when I thought Thor was a lion cub, he was still a cub. His attempts at sounding authoritative were endearing at most.

"Your grace, I have no recollection of such event." I replied.

Thor smiled at me with all the open joy and enthusiasm of his youth and he nodded." My gratitude for your understanding, Fandral." He said sounding almost familiar and relaxed.

"Your grace, I am at your service." I replied and I had to hold myself from ruffling his hair as if he were a younger brother.

We didn't see the young brothers again until we were called into the royal dining room. We didn't know what our business would be in a place that was already guarded. Then we realised we had been honored to be invited as guests. A young maiden passed next to us, tall and beautiful with hair like old gold down to her waist. She wore armour over her flowing dress and by the design and decorationss on the metal we knew this was Heimdall's young sister, young lady Sif.

She was the same age as Thor, still a child in so many ways, and she carried a sword with her, a heavy one, not a toy for a whimsical young lady but one suitable for a young and strong warrior. She smirked at our bowing and made a very vague attempt at curtsying.

"Our young lady." I said in greeting.

"Fandral, the womanizer, Hogun, the grim and Volstagg the glutonous." She said as if challenging us.

" Well, sometimes I get called that, young lady. There is no wrong in admiring the beauty of the ladies of any of the 9 realms." I justified myself.

" It is a distraction, sir. A true warrior has eyes that fix themselves on his or her duty and his or her foe." She said seriously. 

I looked at Hogun who was nodding. They thought the same."Well, my grim friend here surely understands you well, young lady." 

"That is because he is a true warrior." She said and left. She was absolutely beautiful, too young for me, unfortunately, but she a pain in the neck, too.

Princes Thor and Loki came down in their fine clothes and laughing until our King set his eyes on them. Loki smiled a little which was met with a smirk from the Allfather. Thor looked seriously at his father who nodded at him.  
They took their seats among their other brothers. Being the youngest princes they stuck to one another and even when the queen herself tried to keep them quiet. They giggled and plotted some mischief, surely. Thor sat next to his older brother Tyr who talked amiably to Lord Frey. Thor was listening to them talk about trade among the realms and before he knew it he was asking them about the topic. 

Loki rolled his eyes and started stabbing his meal with his fork. It wasn't that Loki wasn't interested in those adult, serious conversations, it was that Loki had already read some treaties about them. Thor had read them,too but it seemed Thor confirmed his learning by discussing it with others.

There was a big problem. He was not paying attention to Loki and Loki hated being ignored. While Thor talked to the others Loki slipped down the table and tied together all the laces and clasps he found in the people's attires. Inclusing Thor's which he tied to the very tablecloth. We only realised of it when the princes and other noble people wanted to stand up and dance. Some tripped, some sat back down and spent some time untying themselves. Our queen had realised but hoped nothing worse happened. 

And then, Thor was asked to give a little demonstration of his incredible strenght as even then it was unmeasurable. Thor was a teenager, he felt awkward at being shown like this, like a trained animal, he once told me. He loved the praise but he hated being forced by his father to show his skills and gifts.

But our King was a little drunk and had to be pleased. Thor stood up a little depondently and when he stepped away from the table, he pulled the table cloth, which had been tied to his tunic by Loki, and food and wine and all fell to the floor making a very unpleasant noise.

"What kind of insolence is this? What is this display of disrespect for your king, lord and father?" Odin was offended thinking Thor had done it on purpose. He walked towards the confused boy who looked at Loki as if asking for help. Loki shrugged feigning innocense. 

"Forgive me, father…" Thor was saying when Odin slapped him twice across the face. It was hard enough to break his lip and leave him stunned for some seconds. "To your chambers!" Odin roared and Thor closed his hands in fists and nodded while averting his eyes so no one could see tears in them. He left walking slowly, fist to his chest, never turning his back on King Odin.

Once he was out of the banquet hall he ran fast but he didn't go to his chambers right away. I know because I excused myself and followed him. He went to the stable and hid with the goats he had recently tamed. He sat on the hay holding one of them and weeping silently. I felt sad for the lad, those tears were full of frustration and fear. He feared Odin. A brave spirit like his rejects the possibility of being fearful and yet he was.

"We should just leave…you two and me." Thor said to the goats in a broken little whisper.

Loki stayed at the feast until he politely asked if he could be excused, being a young one he was actually supposed to be in bed already. He went to look for Thor, he knew well Thor had gone to the stable and not to his rooms. I was about to get in and offer some comfort, some kind words to the distraught young prince when Loki stopped me.

"I'll talk to my brother." He said seriously and a little haughtily.

He got in and ten seconds after I heard Thor's angry and hurt voice.

"You did it! You did it and you won't tell father it was your fault. He hit me again! In front of all the court!" 

"Well, it was just a couple of slaps, Thor, they surely didn't hurt that bad." Loki said. There was a tense silence." I was bored. You found Tyr and Frey's conversation more interesting than my company." Loki said as if his boredom justified it all.

"You didn't need to do that. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to talk to me?" Thor reproached.

"Come, let's play games in my chambers." Loki ignored Thor's question.

"To Hel with you, Loki! Leave me alone! Dinner was going so well and you took pleasure in ruining it!" Thor said, I could hear the anger and tears in his voice.

"Thor, brother, must you be so dramatic? It was just a little prank. A simple joke." Loki said in that soft, persuasive tone.

"Father slapped me, it did hurt, it humiliated me…he is furious at me. I will surely get more punishment." Thor said and he sounded young and vulnerable.

"Let us forget about that in my chambers, Thor. I learned a new spell, I have new toys, too." Loki said gently.

"We are getting too old to play with toys, Loki." Thor replied, tone softened. 

Two minutes later they came out together. Loki passed by me and gave me a smug, cheeky grin as if telling me he never failed to persuade Thor, though he sometimes did, as I would learn later.

Thor was disheveled and his blue eyes were red rimmed but he was smiling with his arm around Loki's shoulders.


	3. Loki stays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sparring practice, changes of plans, sword fighting, cat fighting, getting grounded and lots of temper tantrums. And Fandral being an annoyed babysitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this might have some mistakes here and there. I'll fix them but I didn't want to stop updating. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3

We already were prepared not to go alone. Or more exactly, not to babysit just one prince but two. We knew Thor would find the way of taking Loki with them. But then there was a sudden change of plans between the two brothers right the day before our departure.

It all happened when the young princes were sparring. Loki wasn’t and isn’t a bad fighter. He is a skillful, agile one. But he was still a bit smaller than the other noble children following their trainer’s directions. He was in disadvantage when sparring.

Thor encouraged him but Loki got frustrated every time he got thrown to the ground and defeated.

“I’m leaving.” Loki said haughtily. I felt sad for him, he was young, and just like Thor, he was proud.

“Don’t you dare giving up, brother!” Thor said and went to stop Loki putting a hand on Loki’s shoulder “You’ve improved so much already! I bet we can spar now and you can defeat me. Bring the practice swords!” he told one of the other boys.

The trainer knew what Thor wanted to do. He wanted to show Loki his own improvements but at the same time he’d give him a chance to win, Thor felt Loki needed that sense of victory.

Loki was underestimated as a fighter, really. He uses tricks, it’s true, but it doesn’t mean he was not as well trained as Thor and the other princes were.  
Loki touched the finely made wooden sword. He smiled at Thor. There was a little nod from Thor and Loki responded with another little nod. Both of them looked excited and playful.  
Their hair glistened in the sunshine. Thor’s long braid like gold, Loki’s like the softest feathers of Hugin and Munin, Odin’s crows. They were our wonderful, beautiful little princes, the pride of Asgard, indeed.

All started impressively well. They would use the swords.Thor was already excellent though still not perfect. He got over-excited most of the times and lowered his guard. Loki’s focus gave him some advantage here despite of his shorter arm and reach. They were even when the sword fighting round was over. 

Then they had to fight with their fists and legs, punching and kicking. During this round we could all tell they were both trying not to hurt each other. They were being careful. They connected punches and kicks to gain points. Thor won this round. 

The third round was about grappling. I knew this one would be the one that would require Thor to let Loki win while pretending he was truly fighting with all his might. It started well, it started wonderfully. Loki was growing desperate when he was pinned to the floor by Thor over and over. Thor was giving Loki a bit of a fight just to make Loki’s victory believable.  
It was a big surprise when he bit on Thor’s arm and Thor lowered his guard, he lost it completely. Loki jumped to his feet and took the practice sword and he started beating Thor over and over and over until Thor managed to grab it, not without getting hit in his fingers. He smacked Loki hard, he would not hit him with the wooden sword. But when Loki punched his jaw Thor kicked Loki’s leg and Loki screamed and before the trainer could stop them the supposedly honorable fight turned into a mess. It was now a typical fight between brothers where both of them pulled at each others's hair, bit and scratched each other.  
They were finally separated and sent to their father. Odin lectured them and sent them to the kitchens to peel boiled potatoes with their bare hands. I went there and there I was, a dashing, powerful warrior babysitting two bickering brats.

“I was about to let you beat me in that third round, you know?” Thor said grumpily.

“Let me win? Let me win? You don’t need to let me win, you big patronising idiot! I can beat you anytime! Soon I’ll be able to turn into a frog and I’ll put you in a fish bowl to feed you flies.” Loki said mockingly. “We would not miss you too much as you already have the tiny brain of a frog.”

“And you have a mouth as big as a bilgesneip’s.” Thor replied angrily. “I am nice to you and you bit me! Bit me as if you were some kind of untamed animal! Biting is not allowed! And you hit me with a sword while I was down and unarmed. You never attack an unarmed opponent! Where’s your sense of honor?”

“You pinned me to the ground, you oaf!” Loki reproached and threw a steamy potato to the bowl.

“I had to pretend it was a real fight so everybody would see you win!” Thor reminded him.

“Oh, yes, because I’m so weak I need to be given some advantage...” Loki said furiously.

“Because I wanted to encourage you to keep training!” Thor said and he sounded very offended now. “You’re younger and smaller still. You’re fast and agile, though. Those are good qualities in a warrior.”

“And you’re an idiot and a fool, those are good qualities in a donkey.”Loki mocked him.

“Shut up! You’re the fool!”Thor pouted as he hated being called dumb and he was right. Loki has always been cunning and clever but Thor is also very intelligent.

“You never see it when I just want to help you.” Thor hissed. “Damned things!” he said as the potatoes were too hot in his hands. The cook behind them poured more potatoes for them to peel.  
“I’ll grow up and then I’ll beat you. I’ll pin you to the floor and break your stupid nose.” Loki told Thor.

“After pulling my hair like a baby in a playground?” Thor mocked him.

“Right after I kick you between the legs so hard you’ll become a girl!” Loki replied.

“I have news for you, brother. You’re not going to the trip with me. I was going to take you with me as we planned but you’re a baby who is a foul fighter and a sore loser. You’re a baby who needs to be with mother, hiding behind her skirts. And you’re staying.” Thor said and grinned as he was getting revenge and it felt right.


	4. On the road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins. There is disappointment, pride and surprises. Loki stayed home....yeah, right.

The journey had been carefully planned. We were careful as we knew Thor would find the way to include our younger prince, Loki, in the plans. We were surprised when Thor showed up alone. He had packed what was necessary, asking Hogun beforehand what he should leave and what he should bring.

This was not a trip for me, it was babysitting and entertaining the prince. Hogun was not in a good mood as he still believed we would end up babysitting the two young prices who were really a handful. The princes had older brothers, four to be exact, Princes Vali, Vidar, Hermod and Tyr, and I wondered why the king didn't send them to babysit and educate their little brother instead of us.

When not with the Allfather, our lord and king, Thor was a little arrogant, a little cheeky, a little overconfident. But which adolescent boy is not like that? We were all like that, one way or another. Our king was a harsh disciplinarian and prince Thor was always different in his presence, he lost his smug little smirks and looked subdued, even a little fearful. Before leaving, prince Thor had received all kinds of reccomendations and his first real sword for the journey. 

Prince Thor was not happy and proud of having gotten a perfect sword as a present. He was frowning because he was about to leave Prince Loki in palace after their fight. Thor was tense when we prepared to leave. "What is the purpose of our trip? What is our quest?" He asked to distract himself from the fact that we were already out of the palace and he was leaving his little brother behind.

"We are going to retrieve one of the king's wolves. He came out running after some prey and he has not returned." Hogun said seriously.

"Hasn't Freki come back?" Thor asked about the beautiful fearsome wolf.

"No, Heimdall has spotted him. Practically, we just came to take him home." I said and smiled as that meant we would be free of our princely charge soon.

Thor frowned. He was expecting an enemy to fight, a challenge to meet. We were just running an errand for the Allfather. He knew Freki would come to meet us when he smelled the food we had brought for him. He was still angry at Loki but he had started missing him by the time we started setting our camp.

However, our prince seemed to be adapting well to not eating fancy, delicious and carefully prepared dishes but simple cheese, bread and salted fish. He wouldn't sleep on his comfortable, firm but still accomodating mattress in his quarters those nights. In our campsite he'd sleep on the hard floor over a thin though protective mat and covered by woven blankets and furs. He seemed restless and disappointed.

" Well, we will go deep into the forest." Volstagg said trying to comfort the young prince. Thor nodded but he looked almost petulant in his disappointment.

"Let's go now. Let's explore a little and gather wood for the fire." Volstagg told Thor who was grateful to have something to do but still annoyed by the lack of importance of our mission.

"I didn't bring my net to catch butterflies." Thor muttered making his already deepening voice sound higher in pitch, mockingly childlike.  
" This feels like a walk in the country with my nursemaid but I am not a baby." He complained."And you are the nursemaid with the longest beard I've ever seen." He told Volstagg who rolled his eyes at me when I followed them.

"Why don't you just relax, your grace, and enjoy the clean air and the landscape?" I asked Thor who shook his head.

"I was promised something exciting. If it was going to be a disppointing stay in the woods, safe and boring, I could have brought not only one of my little brothers, both of them could have come here." Thor reproached." Aren't you three famous for your adventures?" He asked impatiently.

"Yes! When we are not looking after brat princes, we have great adventures." I said in a low voice but he heard me.

Thor glared at me and he straightened his back as if showing me he was almost as tall as me."I am no brat and I don't want to be treated like a prince here! I am a trained warrior like you!" He said.

"Well, we, trained warriors eat, too. And we prefer hot food. And we need wood for that. Warriors actually do this at campsites, your grace." I said.

Thor's full, pink lips twisted into something that showed he was fighting a little smile." Stop that! Don't call me your grace, my prince, none of that. Call me Thor." He said and then he allowed himself to smile.

Volstagg chuckled." That's an easy request." He said." Start helping, Thor." He said and Thor nodded.

I think he was hungry because he seemed much more content after Volstagg made some soup and we ate it with the bread we had brought with us. We had to sleep there, halfway to our destination and Thor laid down looking up at the stars with clear wide eyes. He was so young. He was a nuisance but damn if we weren't proud of our prince. He was a model of what a prince should be, I think. Effortlessly handsome, confident, smiling. Still a young and pretty boy in many ways. Innocent somehow as his hands had never gotten stained with blood. He was pure and kind, under his veneer of cocky smugness. 

There we were watching the flames on his golden locks of hair as he slept peacefully, his features sweet and childlike still but promising to sharpen and become keener and masculine. We somehow were proud of ourselves, too. The allfather had trusted us to take care of his precious young son.

And he fooled us. Next thing I knew it was dawn and Hogun was shaking my shoulder to wake me up." He's gone. The damn prince is gone. I can't find him." He said and there was an alarming frown and tension in his stoic, grim face.


	5. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki joins the quest. The Warriors Three now have to deal with teenage angst and sass.

When we recovered from our anger and shock we clearly knew where we would find Thor. We took the path back to palace and there we found him. And not alone. He was there with Loki who smiled smugly at us.  
"Thor…Why? Prince Loki is supposed to stay home." Volstagg asked.

Loki lifted a hand in a gesture which meant Volstagg should stop.  
"Prince Thor, your grace, not just Thor. Since when are these servants addressing you so disrespectfully, brother?" Loki corrected Volstagg and asked Thor.

"We are friends now, Loki, it is strange to call ones's friends by their title." Thor shrugged.

Loki turned his nose up at us." If you say so, my brother, as you are older I am inclined to believe you and follow your lead." Which was a lie, Thor many a time did what Loki wanted him to do. And they both got into trouble.

"My princes, we are going to go back to our king." Hogun said.

"Why? No! We need to recover father's wolf!" Thor protested." That was our mission! We haven't accomplished it!" 

"We were not supposed to be looking after two princes." I said.

"Thor, brother, please tell me when this servant's problems became mine?" Loki asked Thor sarcastically.

"Your behind is not the one getting flogged if we disobey orders, your grace." I said annoyed by Loki's reply.

"And is that my problem because…" Loki made a gesture of his elegant slim hand as if prompting me to explain.

"No one's behind is getting flogged. I left a note for father and he'll know Loki is here with us, well protected by me and my warriors!" Thor said proudly.

"I need no protection. I can take care of myself." Loki said but he was young, almost a child, of course he needed protection. Thor needed protection, too.

We resigned and went back near the clearing where we had camped the night before. Loki and Thor kept joking and giggling all the time. They were getting Hogun impatient and annoyed. 

We would need to have some morning repast and then continue our search for the wolf. Loki sat next to Thor by the tree and both started sharpening some little daggers Loki had brought with him. "So…we are just fetching father's stupid dog!" Loki asked Thor who nodded. Loki laughed mockingly."Such a petty task!" 

"Not so petty, Loki!" Thor said and frowned a little at him." You know father loves his wolves." 

"Because they are some of his fylgja?" Loki asked aloud what was supposed to be a secret. Thor covered Loki's mouth. But the blonde boy nodded lightly.

A fylgja is an animal spirit, a guide that sorcerers use to travel without their bodies and other magical purposes. King Odin practiced his magic secretely. Using seidr was fine for a woman, it was considered unmanly though it was not a secret our king was a powerful sorcerer but no one dared to even mention it.

"We had never been this far away from home without mother and father and our brothers, Loki." Thor said and smiled excitedly. He loved the company of his mother and brothers it didn't mean he disliked it. He was always tense when the king was there but he didn't dislike his company totally. But being away from home with three servants and Loki gave him this sense of independence and adventure, of not being a kid anymore.

"True. It would be even better if it were only you and me and no nursemaids to guard us." Loki said and glanced at us.

"They are warriors. We need them to learn from them. They've been to many places and they know how to live outdoors and fight and explore." Thor whispered.

"All that is nothing we would be unable to learn on our own." Loki said dismissively.

"Maybe but I kind of like them. They are fun. Volstagg makes great soup! And he is good at choosing mushrooms and berries and finding any edible roots and plants and fruits. I almost took a poisonous mushroom. I learned which are the good ones from him. And his jokes are always hilarious. Then there's Hogun, they call him the grim. He is the best horse rider I've ever seen. He is always serious and frowning but I can see he is just studying people around him. Like you. He is clever and cunning. And Fandral…he is supposed to have gained the favour of 1000 maidens." Thor said sounding impressed.

"Yes, if he were a female they'd say he is the easiest, filthiest lady in Asgard." Loki looked contemptously at me." Is that what you want to learn from him, brother?" Loki asked and his face turned pale, his brows knitted in something like anguished anger." Is that what you want to know? How to gain the favours of filthy wenches in Asgard?" He insisted.

Thor looked at him in confusion and worry." No, no, brother! Not that. We are princes. Whoever we court has to be of our rank. And I care not about those things yet, Loki, not at all." He said earnestly.

Loki seemed on the verge of tears. I was about to roll my eyes and groan. Now we'd deal with their volatile adolescent moods.

"Did you say yet? You said yet!" Loki asked and I could hear the tears in his voice. He stood up and moved away from Thor.

Thor was following him quickly." Brother, Loki…I said it but I won't ever say it again if it upsets you so. I just said it because I suppose you and me will have to choose a consort when we are older and it should better be someone we admire and like…but we are young for that still." Thor's words seemed to be upsetting Loki all the more.

"You won't! You won't ever be ready! Whoever you choose….I'll hate her! I'll hate her guts!" I managed to hear Loki's voice. He was weeping now.

"No, no, Loki, when it happens…nothing will change between you and me. No one, not even our furture wives will get in between us. It is you and me, brother, forever and ever. They'll have to respect our everlasting bond as brothers, as best friends. My Loki, don't weep." Thor's voice was full of tenderness and worry.

"Promise? No one in between us? Never?" Loki said in a voice wrecked by his earlier sobs.

"Never. Didn't I just go back for you? Nothing is fun or good or exciting without you, my brother, my Loki." He said and they hugged.

I was pretty convinced then that there was no use in fighting it. We had to resign to look after those two. They were more than inseparable.

Tbc


	6. The tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get to a village and there they find a tavern. They are about to find the wolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in ages. Work and a massive writer's block happened. This is not beta-read though I checked it and I think it's okay but if you find any mistakes I am sorry about them and feel free to point them out so that I can correct them.

Thor's mood improved greatly with Loki there with us. We moved farther away from the palace and we had to get used to their constant giggling. Much of it surely came from making fun of us. The giggling progressed into out loud laughing and choking with laughter sometimes. Whatever they told to each other, I will never know.  
Thor had not left his younger brother's side for a while when he trotted next to me on his horse. He smiled widely, eyes bright and bluer than the sky above us, those full, smooth lips of his stretched in a distractingly pretty smile. "See? Loki could have come with us from the start, Fandral." He sounded triumphant, happy to have been right."He knows about plants, about how to cure some cuts, he knows which things we can eat and which things we shouldn't. We read those books together, I remember parts. He remembers it all!" Thor said as if trying to show me Loki was a useful addition to our little quest.  
"Really? Well, I don't plan on letting you get injured and hurt so there is no need for any knowledge about plants." I replied.  
" You can't know for sure." Thor replied and kept smiling.  
" I know. And I will do all in my hand to prevent any scratch or scrape on either of you." I replied and he chuckled.  
"We always get scratches and scrapes! If you don't get any, then you're not having fun." Thor laughed.  
My mind wandered to less wholesome, innocent thoughts and I smiled thinking of the scratches and love bites I got from the countless beauties that favoured me with their company and I had to agree, they had been fun to get. Of course Thor didn't mean those kinds of scratches and scrapes and marks. He meant the ones gotten by young boys exploring the forest, play fighting and such things.  
I sighed in longing, no ladies around, no young fresh maids, no dusty and earthy lovely peasant women in sight.  
Being the princes's nanny was not doing any good to my practice with the sword or with the practice of my charm with the fairer sex. Thor had gone back to ride next to Loki." I am getting bored. When will we see the giant that has that damned dog?" Loki asked but in truth, both loved the pet animals they had in palace and he surely wanted to find the wolf.

"Soon, my princes, but first, we'll get some repast! Can you smell the sweet bread baking somewhere near? Can you see the smoke coming from the chimmneys of the small village ahead of us?" Volstagg's voice brought me back from my thoughts. A village, it sounded wonderful. It surely had a tavern and an inn, and in the tavern, flirty, smiling, lovely tavern girls. And in the village women, all those beautiful women. Women, Aesir females, to be exact. I should say females of any realm always made me excited and happy. I loved their company, their voices, their touch and I still do. There's some mystery in them that escapes men like me but that has never stopped me from falling in love with all of them.

"My friend, Fandral! You should see your face! Ladies, Fandral! There are women in the village!" Volstagg laughed.

"I can't deny this makes me very happy!" I replied and laughed heartily."Those countryside beauties all for me!" 

"A good stew, ale and freshly baked bread for me!" Volstagg replied.

Thor and Loki looked from me to Volstagg and then they looked at Hogun expecting him to say what made him happy about making a stop at a village.

Hogun looked at them. He frowned." It's just a village. I'll buy provisions for the rest of the journey." He said in his low, growling, sullen tone. 

Thor and Loki sniggered a little but stopped the moment Hogun shot an angry look at them.

Thor and Loki were riding behind me." Is it true that there hasn't been a female you haven't charmed?" Loki asked but his voice sounded a little mocking, a little defiant." Of course, you charm common women, not ladies of the court, that would be seen badly. And you are not...you are not of their rank. And most of them are engaged, married or promised to someone." Loki shrugged.

"A gentleman has no memory, Loki, so you will never know if any lady of the court favoured me or not." I replied. Loki smiled in disbelief.

"But is it true that you have... kissed more than a thousand ladies?" Thor asked excitedly." And that you don't care from which realm they come from, how they look, how old they are?" He asked.

"My young friend, I am a ladies's man. I don't give a damn about what the realm thinks about my choices. When I like a lady, I like her despite any possible qualm. I like them tall and short, slim, skinny, plump or heavy. I like them single, married, widowed or divorced. I like the Aesir women with their lovely faces, the elven ladies with their sharper, leaner profiles and bodies, I like Midgardian maidens in all shapes, heights and colours. I dance their dances, sing them songs, drink and laugh with them. And I also do other things you're still young to know in detail. I find them all exquisite." I sighed.

"Even the dwarves? They surely have beards. And stocky, misformed little bodies." Loki asked making a face.

" My prince, you are not paying attention and you're still young, as I have said. There is beauty in them, in all of them. Oh, young child, if you could see them through my eyes!" I felt happy, excited.

"I hope neither of you sees the females like my friend Fandral does. We already have enough with ladies and the angry fathers, brothers, a few boyfriends and the occassional husband who want to fight us whenever we return to a town where Fandral has left some girl rather abruptly after having charmed her somehow." Hogun complained.

"We are princes, we won't be shaming our family. It is the royal family, don't forget." Loki said and looked disdainfully at me. Thor was amused by my adventures and numerous dalliances but didn't object to Loki's words. These were the times when they were still obedient to their father in any way possible. Soon, they would do as most young men and women do, pretend to be obedient and do as they please.

I can tell that their mother would be a better and more positive influence, actually talking about sentiment and respect and love, than our king, who only told them they'd marry a princess that was convenient for the realm to marry with, though I think the king taught them about love through his example. He might have had several loves in his long life but once he found Queen Frigga he loved her with fierce devotion, total faithfulness. Who knows, maybe if I found a lady like our queen I would do just the same. Maybe I've already found several ladies like her and lost my chances with them because I am always distracted by all ladies.

Thor was happy about getting to the village." Maybe they have seen the wolf." He said."I'll ask the villagers. A big wolf and a giant are not an everyday thing to see." 

"They surely avoided the village, fool!" Loki said and laughed a little. Thor frowned."Maybe the giant is pretending the wolf is his." Thor replied feeling a little annoyed by his younger brother.

Once we got to the village Thor started asking about the wolf to every curious villager we found on our way. He smiled at them, people replied happily as he addressed them with his usual, easy friendliness.

"A giant came to town two weeks ago." And old man told Thor." He came for food and other things. He paid very well . In gold. He was fine, for a giant." The man chuckled.

"Was he alone?" Thor asked." Did he have a wolf with him?"

"No, not a wolf. If he had one, he left it out of town. We are afraid of wolves here. They tend to eat our goats. They are evil." The man said shaking his head and frowning.

"Your king has two wolves as loyal and dearly kept pets." Thor said defending the family's pets.

"Oh, but those are tamed with seidr, my boy! They are like puppies when a powerful seidr person enchants them. Wolves in the wild eat everything, anything. Careful with them, my boy." The man said.

 

Thor smiled at him." I'll keep that in mind, good man." He said and came back to us." The giant has come here." He told us.

"So he must be near." Loki said excitedly." We shouldn't waste time here, we should go immediately and ask Heimdall to tell us where the giant is."

"It's not that simple, my young prince." Volstagg told Loki." Giants use seidr, tricks to conceal their presence even from our always watchful Heimdall. They are weird creatures, my prince, devious ones who use magic better than any sorcerer in our realm."

"That cannot be." Thor said." We have all the best in our realm. The best sorcerers, the best seers." He said immediately defending his father's chosen people.

"Yes but among giants, the best seidr people are not limited by...by anything really. You know, my prince, that among our people seidr is a practice more appropriate for the females." Volstagg said and Thor nodded but frowned.

He didn't understand why seidr had to be related to gender. More so because he knew Odin was skilled at it, as skilled as his mother, Queen Frigga. We all knew it but we all kept quiet about it. It was something acceptable in court but the regular, every day Aesir had some prejudices against male sorcerers, even when hypocritically no one thought it twice before hiring them to solve some problem, to reveal enemies, to heal their minds, souls or even their bodies. I think Thor's disapproval was linked to the fact that prince Loki was an apprentice of seidr, our queen was not so secretely teaching him. Thor would confess later that he had always found it amazing and that he had learned the basics, at least, but he didn't get the chance to practice. I think he didn't want to become good at it because he wanted Loki to have something just for him, something that gave him a power only a few had. He would not compete with Loki. Perhaps being Odin's child his power for seidr could have been as strong as his father's but Thor would learn as little as possible about magic, only what is necessary to manage his powers, I think. Loki had also grown quiet, thoughtful, it seemed to me he was sulking. Loki was slim and shorter than Thor but he was also a little younger, he would grow to be a man built of lean, tight muscle, he could have been a great fighter, he was a fighter, but he could have been better if only he had not compared himself to others.

"Why aren't giants limited by their sex?" Thor asked still not really understanding that prejudice we had.

"They are both male and female at the same time, all of them, Thor. That is why they are not worried about who practices seidr." Loki whispered." They are monsters." He said seriously.

"Why? I mean, maybe it is better to be like that, not limited by anything. Perhaps that makes true what people believe about them and they are truly better at seidr than our sorcerers and seers." Thor commented.

Their mood changed as soon as we got to the tavern. Thor pulled Loki by the wrist and Loki giggled as he followed." Look, brother, freshly baked bread!" I would say that it took little to make Thor so happy but in fact, we were all delighted by those simple pleasures. Loki's green eyes widened and he smiled happily, you could only see sweetness and innocense in those eyes back then.

"Come, Loki, we can have a good meal before we find that giant." Thor told him and passed a long arm around Loki's delicate shoulders, not as well developed as Thor's but Thor was also not the strong, muscular Aesir he would become later. Thor was still a little lanky and softer, still growing up.

"Let's see if they can cook something worthy of princes." Loki replied and he looked haughty.

Thor giggled." Brother, you eat anything you can find. Your apetite is surprising for most of us." He pointed out and Loki fought a smile that was forming on his fine, pink lips.

Thor suddenly let out a moan that made me look at him. I blinked, it had sounded wild, uncontrolled, almost lewd. Almost? I usually never found another male's moaning lewd or arousing in the least, not until then. I think his is the only male moaning I will ever find enticing. It was Thor's. Thor, I think, would be any man's exception. I felt guilty and surprised because Thor was young, his moaning was innocent, he wasn't doing or thinking anything lewd at all. He was moaning because the food smelled too good.

Loki was staring at Thor and his cheeks had turned nicely pink. He looked away and then back at Thor after swallowing and taking a deep breath." Must you always be so loud? It is as if you never ate anything." He rolled his green eyes, recovering faster and better than I did from the startling sound of Thor's moaning.

"Oh, you don't know what you're saying! It smells lovely. And I am very hungry." Thor replied and shrugged. 

A tavern girl came closer and Thor smiled as he looked up at her." Bring us all some of that food that smells so good in your kitchen, please, lady!" He asked her and she laughed.

" I'm just a tavern girl, handsome, no lady." She said and Loki kept staring, actually glaring at her from his seat next to Thor.

." All tavern girls are ladies, too, my lady." Thor replied charmingly. The girl giggled delighted by Thor's words.

" Quick, girl! We are hungry, can't you hear? My brother asked for food not for your foolish giggles." Loki said haughtily and Thor turned to look at him with a little frown.

" And you said you weren't hungry!" He said immediately finding an excuse for Loki's unkind words to the girl.

"She's wasting our time. We are on a quest, aren't we?" Loki replied in annoyance." We came for food, we should eat and leave immediately." 

Thor nodded, I think he wanted to think Loki was right. He was this time as we were really close to find the giant and the wolf. Thor looked at the girl leaving and then looked back at Loki." She was just being friendly, Loki. You don't need to feel nervous." He said in a whisper but I was close enough to hear it.

Loki looked back at Thor indignantly and then huffed angrily." Why would I be nervous about what some simple, plain tavern girl says or does?" Loki asked Thor who chuckled a little.  
.  
"Because she is a female. You don't need to be nervous about liking her. She is pretty." Thor said and elbowed Loki a little.

"You'd call anything pretty. You're really not very selective, are you?" Loki sneered at Thor who seemed to keep thinking Loki was pretending not to like the girl but he truly felt attracted to her. I tend to believe Loki's scorn for the girl was sincere.

Thor shrugged. He always found beauty and things to like in everyone and his mistake was thinking everybody else did the same.


	7. First sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fandral is not a good example. The princes are brats. Giants are stubborn.

Chapter 7.

I went away with that beautiful tavern girl from, not from Asgard, she was different, special. Her whole body was covered in soft, cat-like fur. Her face was cat-like, too. I followed her and didn't remember Thor would look for me later.  
"What can I do for you, sir?" The tavern girl asked me, a hand on her wool clad hip.  
"I just wanted to see your beauty upclose, my lovely." I replied and looked at her large, yellow eyes.  
"Of course you want more than that!" She laughed." You're Fandral, the dashing, known as a lover and charmer of ladies in the nine realms. Though some of those ladies say you would just go after anything in a skirt." She teased me." Not just anyone, my dear. I have exquisite taste." I corrected her.  
"Be straightforward, dashing one. What do you want from me? Maybe I am as curious about you as you are curious about me." She said and pushed me against the wall with a force I could not guess from how lithe she looked. We started kissing, the thrill of having people around us who could easily walk in on us made it all more poignant, more delicious.  
There were hands everywhere, mine, hers and eyes half closed when pleasure started building up. I was feeling the silky curves of her slim body and pressing kisses to her throat, her hands were working fast to open my trousers. And then there was touch, my hands under her skirts, hers on me. We were kissing and moaning. I wanted that and I wanted more. That was just the beginning but it was not meant to be really. Because then, I felt it, I felt the clear sensation of being watched. I withdrew my hands from her body and pushed hers away from me. She looked at me in confusion. And we both heard the sound of someone tripping, I walked toward the sound, got to the corner and managed to get a glimpse of brightly blonde hair and the dark red swirl of Thor's traveling cape as he left running.  
Thor was young still, not a child but not an adult. I was sure that the notable, venerable tutors from the nine realms who came to educate the royal children had spoken about reproduction to them but not only about that but also about desire, even if only from biological, physiological aspect of it. I had not learned that way. I could say my education had been by trial, more trial, and some minor errors. I didn't know how much real experience of such things Thor had. I did know it was not what his father surely expected from us to teach his child. I left my beauty there all flustered and annoyed by the sudden interruption and managed to find Thor standing there at the end of the hallway.  
"I didn't mean to pry or interrupt, Fandral." Thor said immediately, he was looking down as if ashamed but when I looked closer, his pink, full lips were curling up on a lop-sided little smile.  
"What were you doing, Fandral?" Thor asked but he damn well knew, he just wanted to tease me somehow." Where you even properly introduced to that lady? Do you like her? Are you going to see her again? Ask her to come with you? Is that how you...you...warriors woo a lady? It is very different from how mother, and some of our tutors, have told us it should be done."

I looked down and shook my head." Listen, my prince, I am not the example you should take. I am not part of the court and I'm no nobleman. My upbringing was different from yours..." I didn't know what else to say, Thor was listening in that way of his that is so pleasing, attentively, his brightly blue eyes on you, his complete interest in what you're saying. I shrugged." My prince don't do as I do. Never follow my example in these matters. It brings me trouble and I am not an important man. For a prince, behaving the way I do would bring trouble for the realm." That was the best thing I could tell him.

Thor nodded."But not all subjects are like you. I have never seen Hogun pursue a maiden. And Volstagg only talks about the daughter of our baker and he seems to love her." Thor said showing me how young and still innocent he really was.

" They are a much better example than me, my prince, by far." I said." And your brothers, your older brothers, the princes, they are the model of behaviour you should follow."

"My brothers think we are babies. They just pat on our heads and tell us nothing, teach us nothing." Thor sighed."They leave on missions to other realms, have great adventures they talk about at the dinner table and in feasts but they never want to take me or Loki with them." 

"That will change when you're older." I said. We had walked back to the others in the main room of the inn and Thor immediately noticed Loki was not there. We saw the slender boy coming back hurriedly."Brother! Brother, come here!" He gestured to Thor and when Thor approached Loki whispered in his ear.  
What Loki said was that the giant who had stolen Freki and Geri had passed by the inn the night before. He had said he was heading north, home, to Jotunheim.  
"Some other travelers said he was warned not to camp too close to the village or the wolves would prey on the villager's cattle." Loki said, his green eyes bright, his pale cheeks pink in his childlike excitement." They saw smoke and light from the giant's camp last night." Loki's slim, delicate hand was clutching Thor's forearm. Thor nodded eagerly.  
"Let us go and find out!" Thor said. It sounded like a bad idea. It would have been a good one if only I and my fellow warriors were there. But we had two young boys we had to keep safe.  
"We'll go in the morning." Volstagg thought the same as I did.  
"No! We are your princes, you owe us obedience. Either go with us there now or we'll go alone." Loki's eyes were bright with anger.  
"It is not far away." The tavern girl, the one who I was trying to charm, said. It wasn't very helpful on her part as we were really not very happy about a nocturnal search for giants. " The giant is not the angry type. He was actually grateful and pleasant when he asked us to give water to his really fearsome dogs." The girl commented.  
"See? He is not even dangerous." Loki said as Thor and him started putting on their cloaks, readying themselves to go in search of the giant.  
We had to follow them, if only to stop them as they were already out with lamps to light their way. Thor walked next to Loki and they kept whispering and giggling. They were surely making fun of us. Thor turned to look at us, he looked excited but also seemed to want to make sure we were close. He kept close to his brother. Thor must have been only a year or less older than Loki but he was protective though Loki was the one who openly said he was taking care of Thor. Volstagg approached the boys and I heard him explaining to them that they needed to follow the giant's tracks. Thor let out a boyish little squeal when he identified a large foot print and then another and then the paw prints following them.

"We are close!" Loki said and pointed to the large foot prints." We found them, Thor!" He whispered but I could hear the excitement in his musical voice. The woods were dark but the night sky was bright with moonlight. Thor's long-fingered hand was on Loki's shoulder.  
We could see the foot prints and the paw prints clearly, I was a little wary because the Aesir and the giants are never totally friendly even when we are being diplomatic. What kind of giant was this? Odin's wolves were well known. Was this a giant who lived under a rock oblivious to the problems between our peoples?  
He, assuming it was a he, was not hiding. It seemed the giant was friendly to our people and even asked for help from them. Well, it was not a difficult or risky quest. King Odin would not have let his child go into danger when he was still so young.  
Loki was shorter and very sneaky so before we could tell him to stay near us he had disappeared. Thor himself was the one who seemed the most surprised and quickly anguished. Before we knew it, we were close enough to see the giant and the wolves and Loki hiding behind them in the tall grass.  
The giant immediately knew we were there. He took his spear from his back where it had been hanging and used it to move the bushes in the exact point where Loki was hiding. Thor's eyes widened in alarm. Loki moved away and tried to use seidr to hide but he was still an apprentice and as he was feeling scared and nervous, he failed. 

" Who do we have here? A tiny, little Aesir thief?" The giant asked, the giant seeemed relaxed though he was pointing the spear at Loki. 

Of course Thor would not let anyone threaten his little brother so before we could plan how to take Loki away from there and keep him safe, Thor had jumped to stand before the giant and was shielding Loki from him.  
"Put that sword down, you beast!" Thor said loud and clear.

The giant's lips curled into a little smile, his pupils wide with the red irises around them." Oh, and now we have another tiny Aesir thief and with a little sword!" He teased Thor but pointed the spear down.

"Who are you calling thieves? Watch your words! The only thief here is you!" Thor accused him while we moved to surround the giant and prepared to rescue our two brats. 

"Thief? Are you calling me thief, little one?" The giant asked and kept smiling. It only made Thor angrier."You two are the ones hiding and trying to catch me off guard in the middle of the woods. But, I do need two little servants. That little one behind me could help clean up my house. You seem a little older, old enough to be a page. You could be a little squire even. Soon, I would let you polish my spear." The giant said and his tone was unmistakeably lewd. It alarmed me and offended me. Thor seemed to miss it. He was too angry about the giant trying to threaten his little brother and himself.

"Freki! Freki!" It was Loki the one who shouted knowing the wolf would respond to them, to their voices.

The giant frowned but Thor smiled when the wolf showed his impressive head and made a whimpering sound at them as if he were but a pup.

"Who are you? Why are you spying on us and following us?" The giant asked. He was not bad looking for a giant. He was broad-shouldered, his head was shaven and his body was muscular and strong, chiseled. He kept looking suspiciously at all of us but his rubi red eyes lingered on Thor's yellow hair, his full lips curled into a little smile when he looked at Thor's face.

"That is our wolf. That is king Odin's wolf. We came to bring him back home with us." Thor said." So let our dog come with us and we'll show you mercy." Our prince said in a very arrogant tone.

The giant lifted an eyebrow as he looked down at the tiny, blonde prince who so presumptuously talked to him.  
"You, Aesir, are too small to be able to tame such a large beast. Why don't I give you gold to go and buy a pup from some nice kennel in town?" The giant offered.

"No! We are princes, we are your princes, and we command you to give us what is ours, you impudent, blue beast!" Loki said loudly. We were rightfully and immediately wary and prepared to haul the princes with us and flee.

"I am no beast! And you two, unsufferable brats, aren't my princes! I am Lord Thrym, counselor to king Laufey, Queen Farbauti's cousin! My blood is royal blood and your father is not my king!" The giant said haughtily but still smiling at the princes. Before we could pull the boys away, he reached and lifted Thor by the armpits. Thor kicked and yelled at him furiously." Calm down, pup. Such gorgeous hair you have. Brightly yellow like pure gold." He said and Thor spat at him." Feisty. I like that. Almost a grown up, aren't you? Wouldn't you come with me? I'll let the others take the wolf to your father in exchange for this blonde pup." Thrym said and laughed delighted when Thor tried to squirm out of his grip.


	8. An exchange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The wolf was now with us, following us as if he were a dog."

We watched in fear and confusion. What were we supposed to do to free Thor now?

"Lord Thrym, with all due respect, sir, we came for our king's pet and you want to exchange a pet for one of our king's children, how could that make any sense?" I said.

" Stop talking! He's got Thor! Kill the beast!" Loki screamed as loudly as Thor who kept writhing in his efforts to get free of Thrym. 

Thor still ignored his own strenght so he was surprised when he managed to kick Thrym and the giant dropped him because Thor had actually hurt him.

Lord Thrym bent over and, to our surprise, he chuckled and shook his head, even when he looked pale and sounded breathless.

"This little pup is going to be mighty soon!" He reached and ruffled Thor's hair. 

Thor stepped back and veritably snarled at him. This just made Thrym chuckle at Thor again. The chuckle was warm, his eyes on Thor's face. Thrym licked his lips and smiled. Thor kept glaring while it seemed only Loki and I were aware of the inappropriate way in which Thrym looked at the young prince. 

"Give us the wolf or I...I'll kill you, monster!" Loki said bravely.

Loki was usually aloof and cautious but never when it came to Thor. They were fiercely loyal and protective of each other. They could quarrel and bicker in an unsufferable way but if someone tried to hurt one of them, the other jumped in his defense immediately.

"I'm Lord Thrym, child. Not a monster. Your father neglected this magnificent creature. I just rescued and adopted him." Thrym shrugged.

"Father loves his wolves...we love them. We don't neglect them! You stole him! Let him come with us and...and...stop staring at my brother like that!" Loki said and shook his head.

"Why aren't we fighting him?" Thor finally asked me before he stepped in front of Loki to protect him. They ended up trying to stand in front of each other and elbowing each other in their attempts of being protective. It would have been hilarious if Lord Thrym hadn't been there looking menacingly at us.

"Take the wolf. I'll take the children. This one will be tamed and turned into a good handservant and this blonde one will be my new squire." He said talking about Loki first and Thor later. And he grabbed them both to our dismay. 

It was a predicament. We could not attack a Lord. Asgard had a tense peace with Jotunheim, a commoner fighting other commoners was not such a big problem. Three warriors attacking a member of Jotunheim's royal house was not a good idea at all.   
The princes didn't think they had to be diplomatic and I started to suspect Lord Thrym was playing games with all of us. He carried the squirming boys with him and whistled to the wolf to go with us.

" My lord, you don't understand! Those are truly the king's younger children!" Volstagg said as respectfully as he could and we ran behind them.

"Good! None of these is the crown prince! King Odin really has no use for them but being at my service will help our diplomatic relations!" Thrym said airily.

" My father will start a war to bring us back home! We are all princes! We are important!" Thor roared.

" Oh, you have a big mouth, golden boy! That is not bad, not bad at all." Thrym said and laughed lewdly. I didn't like that at all.

The wolf was now with us, following us as if he were a dog. And it came to that. A lord kidnapping the princes and us running behind him to try to recover them. Until we were interrupted. We heard the flapping of several winged horses above us. Three large winged horses landed before us.

" You wretch of a giant! You drunk, vicious thing! What do you think you are doing?" A deep but youthful voice asked. We saw the backs of the riders on their horses.

Lord Thrym turned around sharply." Who are you to confront me, little boy that has no head for mead?" Thrym replied.

It was prince Tyr. I worried, but at least Tyr was older, more experienced, more diplomatic. Or at least I hoped he was all that.


	9. More princes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We watched in fear and confusion. What were we supposed to do to free Thor now?"

We watched in fear and confusion. What were we supposed to do to free Thor now? "Lord Thrym, with all due respect, sir, we came for our king's pet and you want to exchange a pet for one of our king's children, how could that make any sense?" I said.

" Stop talking! He's got Thor! Kill the beast!" Loki screamed as loudly as Thor who kept writhing in his efforts to get free of Thrym. Thor still ignored his own strenght so he was surprised when he managed to kick Thrym and the giant dropped him because Thor had actually hurt him.

Lord Thrym bent over and, to our surprise, he chuckled and shook his head, even when he looked pale and sounded breathless." This little pup is going to be mighty soon!" He reached and ruffled Thor's hair. Thor stepped back and snarled at him. This just made Thrym chuckle at Thor again. The chuckle was warm, his eyes on Thor's face. Thrym licked his lips and smiled. Thor kept glaring while it seemed only Loki and I were aware of the innappropriate way in which Thrym looked at the young prince. 

"Give us the wolf or I...I'll kill you, monster!" Loki said bravely. Loki was usually aloof and cautious but never when it came to Thor. They were fiercely loyal and protective of each other. They could quarrel and bicker in an unsufferable way but if someone tried to hurt one of them, the other jumped in his defense immediately.

"I'm Lord Thrym, child. Not a monster. Your father neglected this magnificent creature. I just rescued and adopted him." Thrym shrugged.

"Father loves his wolves...we love them. We don't neglect them! You stole him! Let him come with us and...and...stop staring at my brother like that!" Loki said and shook his head.

"Why aren't we fighting him?" Thor finally asked me before he stepped in front of Loki to protect him. They ended up trying to stand in front of each other and elbowing each other in their attempts of being protective. It would have been hilarious if Lord Thrym hadn't been there looking menacingly at us." "Take the wolf. I'll take the children. This one will be tamed and turned into a good handservant and this blonde one will be my new squire." He said talking about Loki first and Thor later. And he grabbed them both to our dismay. 

It was a predicament. We could not attack a Lord. Asgard had a tense peace with Jotunheim, a commoner fighting other commoners was not such a big problem. Three warriors attacking a member of Jotunheim's royal house was not a good idea at all. The princes didn't think they had to be diplomatic and I started to suspect Lord Thrym was playing games with all of us.

He carried the squirming boys with him and whistled to the wolf to go with us." My lord, you don't understand! Those are truly the king's younger children!" Volstagg said as respectfully as he could and we ran behind them.

"Good! None of these is the crown prince! King Odin really has no use for them, being at my service will help our diplomatic relations!" Thrym said airily." My father will start a war to bring us back home! We are all princes! We are important!" Thor roared." Oh, you have a big mouth, golden boy! That is not bad, not bad at all." Thrym said and laughed lewdly. I didn't like it.

The wolf was now with us, following us as if he were a dog. And it came to that. A lord kidnapping the princes and us running behind him to try to recover them. Until we were interrupted. We heard the flapping of several winged horses above us. 

Three large winged horses landed before us." You wretch of a giant! You drunk, vicious thing! What do you think you are doing?" A deep but youthful voice asked. We saw the backs of the riders on their horses.

Lord Thrym turned around sharply." Who are you to confront me, little boy that has no head for mead?" Thrym replied.

It was prince Tyr. I worried, but at least Tyr was older, more experienced, more diplomatic. Or at least I hoped he was all that. His chesnut brown hair glistened like his light blue, almond-shaped eyes."I'm the one who has lifted you from several tavern floors across the nine realms, you old fool!" Prince Tyr replied and he let out a loud, warm laugh.


	10. Unexpected friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Tyr of Asgard has some peculiar friends.

I thought we would be free of the responsibility of looking after the two brat princes when I saw that handsome and tall young man talking so familiarly with the giant. Prince Tyr was one of princes Thor and Loki's older brothers. He was tall, his hair was dark brown and it glistened in the light. He had the handsome, noble features of his family, the harmoniously sized, straight nose with the gently rounded tip, the large, clear eyes, the smiling mouth and firm, strong jaw. His complexion was more olive and not so much golden peach like prince Thor's or ivory pale like prince Loki's and his hair was only a little less dark than Loki's.

"Those two are just brats, Thrym, don't scare them, my friend." Tyr said but he kept looking amusedly at them.

"Surely you want to get rid of your pesty, little brothers, Tyr!" The giant joked.

"Tyr, how can you be friends with a thief?!" Thor shouted indignantly.

"See? Totally pesty, my prince. I can help you get rid of them. Give them away to me. The two brat princes for me and I'll give you back your father's magnificent wolf. It's a good deal." Thrym said.

Tyr laughed. Thor and Loki whined and glared at their older brother.  
"My lord Thrym, you really don't want these boys destroying your house. They are messy, noisy and they eat like bilgesneips." Tyr joked." Also, they are spoiled. They don't know how to do anything!"

"They can learn. This blond one seems to me like the perfect squire. And the little one here, could be trained to be a handservant." He said and kept holding Thor by the arm while he reached and grabbed Loki's wrist. 

Thor looked very upset when he saw Loki was trying to pull his arm away." You're touching his skin! You're burning him! Let Loki go or I'll kill you. If you hurt him, I'll kill you!" Thor was enraged.

"What a loudmouth this one is!" Thrym laughed at Thor.

"Loki also has a big mouth but...don't burn their skin, my friend." Tyr said sounding tense for the first time.

Thrym pushed Loki toward Tyr and Loki glared at him but stayed close to Tyr and his horse. He was indignant but he was also scared." I got this, Loki." Tyr whispered.

"Get Thor, get Thor now!" Loki whispered because he was afraid for Thor and he felt anguished when Thor had to grunt and struggle to free himself. 

"I truly wasn't trying to steal the wolf, Tyr." Thrym said after chuckling because Thor was actually managing to hurt him and almost freed himself before Thrym let go and put his hands on Thor's shoulders." You're cute for an Aesir. You'll be even more gorgeous soon, little prince." He said and then he pushed an indignant Thor toward prince Tyr.

"How can you be friends with such a monster and a thief, Tyr?" Thor asked and Loki grabbed his hand. Thor immediately squeezed Loki's hand gently. They had always done that, they comforted each other in times of fear or uncertainty.

"I'm sure you kept the lost wolf and it is undeniable that you've treated him kindly. Let me offer a little feast in your honour in my hall!" Tyr said loudly and Thrym chuckled.

" A feast organised by you, my friend? How could I say no?" Thrym said and he was almost completely ignoring everyone but Tyr but he glanced at Thor from time to time." Keep an eye on the brats, though. Will they be present? I'm sure they'd leave early not to miss their bedtime!" Thrym laughed.

"We won't even want to be close to Tyr's hall then!" Loki protested and Thor looked at him nodding.

" We are not friends with lying thieves!" Thor added.

"You told me they are not betrothed to anyone yet. I volunteer to wed the blond lion cub when he is a little older." Thrym joked.

"Never!" Thor yelled.

Loki came out from behind Tyr and kicked Thrym's feet furiously. It took Thor, Volstagg and me to pull him back and away from the giant who wasn't really angry. He was actually laughing.

"Loki, calm down." Tyr said." You'd have to ask my father for permission to woo Thor, my friend. You still have time to reconsider, he's still a boy." He added and Thrym nodded and kept chuckling." I'll come back later, Thrym, and we'll go to the village for some nice meal and barrels of mead." 

"Tell your father to keep his pups in a leash. All of his pups." Thrym said and looked at Thor and Loki before he let out a surprisingly warm laugh. Thrym and Tyr shook hands to say goodbye. Prince Tyr is tall and strong but his hand looked very small when Thrym held it.

Thor touched Loki's shoulder as if to soothe him but Loki pushed his hand away. Thor tried not to be affected by it, not to take it to heart. But then he realised Loki was trying to hide his arm from him. Loki had the strangest blueish bruise near the wrist where Thrym had held his arm.


End file.
